In 1905, subdivisions of the land grant were drawn up and Daniel Burnham issued the Burnham Plan for San Francisco, which recommended that the land where John McLaren and Bayview Parks are today should be reserved for park use,[2][3][4] as residents in the southern part of the City were considered inadequately served by access to park space.[5] Burnham's Report called for several parks near Visitacion Valley, including one he named Visitacion Park, which would become Bayview Park and Candlestick Point State Recreation Area; and one he named University Mound Park, which occupied part of the land that would later became John McLaren Park.[4] In the wake of the 1906 earthquake and fire, rather than implement Burnham's plan, city officials expediently rebuilt the city using the grids that had been previously laid out.[6]

The Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 26241, New Series on October 4, 1926 (approved Oct 15) directing the purchase of 550 acres (220 ha) for a park planned to be named Mission Park,[7] with plans for an 18-hole golf course, equestrian trails, playing fields, and a possible relocation of the City Zoo.[3] The Board would rename the planned park in honor of John McLaren's service to the city on November 29, 1926,[7] and McLaren celebrated the dedication of the park in 1927,[1] during a December tree-planting ceremony. The widow of Luther Burbank donated ten four-year-old walnut trees to the children of the City. These trees, the first to be planted at McLaren Park, were intended to serve as the nucleus of a planned orchard of fruit and nut-bearing trees.[8]

However, a US$2,000,000 (equivalent to $29,180,000 in 2018) bond measure to raise funds for the full 550-acre (220 ha) area of the park failed to pass in the November 1928 election,[7] and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors would scale back the planned park size while acquiring properties from 1928 to 1946.[1][3] In 1932, the Park Commission recommended a reduced park size of 428 acres (173 ha).[9] Additional recommendations for final park size in 1944 varied from 283 to 413 acres (115 to 167 ha), and the land acquired by the time the Master Plan was published in November 1944 was 222 acres (90 ha)[9] at a total cost of US$720,000 (equivalent to $10,247,000 in 2018).[7] Several areas in the original 550-acre proposed park area were used to build the School and Convent of the Good Shepherd of San Francisco (the school, which was operated from 1932–1977, was later known as University Mound High School and served 'delinquent' girls),[10] the Lick Home (later known as the University Mound Ladies Home, which opened as the Lick Old Ladies Home in a different location in 1884 and housed "elderly women of modest means" until 2014),[11] the University Mound reservoirs, the Sunnydale Housing Project, and the Crocker Amazon Playground.[7]

The Works Progress Administration was responsible for the construction of a scenic drive in the 1930s.[3] At that time, the park also featured a stable and equestrian trails, but horseback riding within the park was later discontinued due to the difficult of maintaining a separate set of equestrian trails.[12] The current 318-acre (129 ha) park boundaries were established in 1946.[3] A City Planning Department report, issued in 1950, recommended construction of a segment of the planned Crosstown Freeway, which was built as Mansell Street between Brazil Avenue and San Bruno Avenue; however, once Interstate 280 was completed, the Crosstown Freeway was cancelled.[3] The park expanded to its present size in 1958 through land purchases.[2]

Many of the present-day playgrounds, golf course, and hiking trails were added between 1950 and 1980. A draft master plan was prepared in 1983, updated in 1988, and issued in 1996, following a 1987 bond passed by San Francisco voters to allocate $2.4 million for major park improvements.[13] The park is currently the second-largest park in the City.

McLaren Park has a checkered reputation as a dumping ground for bodies and generally, a dangerous place in the 1980s and 1990s, with numerous crimes threatening visitor safety,[14] but recent community volunteer programs and municipal investment have added several new amenities and increased public usage.[15] Perhaps due to its infamy and resulting discouragement of visitors, the park boasts the largest grasslands left in San Francisco.[14] Several murders have occurred in recent years, despite park improvements.[16][17][18]

Coffman Pool, McLaren Park's first recreation facility, was constructed in the southeast corner of the park in 1958.[3] A master plan for the park was published in 1959 which called for the creation of more recreational facilities, including a 9-hole golf course (later named the Gleneagles Golf Course), overnight campsites, picnic areas, trails, a nursery, two lakes, and parking areas.[3]

Construction of the facilities included in the 1959 Master Plan (The Gleneagles Golf Course, McNab Lake, Louis Sutter, Herz, and Mansfield-Burrows Playground, the Wilde Overlook, and the amphitheater—later to be renamed the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater) began in the 1960s, and also included new trails, picnic and parking areas, community gardens, and an irrigation system.[3]

Before 1978, McLaren Park only had eight picnic tables.[19] Later construction contracts included the addition of more picnic tables and large group picnic areas.[19] Similarly, before 1977, the park only had 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of improved trails, including sidewalks; 6.6 miles (10.6 km) of trails were added by 1997, mostly following contour lines to limit path grades and the park could be fully circumnavigated by foot.[12]

Even in San Francisco, a city considered hilly, McLaren Park stands out with some of the hilliest terrain in the City. Only 19% of its area consists of slopes of 0-10% grade, considered easily buildable. Slopes of 10-25% grade occupy half its area, and slopes over 25% grade occupy the remaining area (more than one-third of the total area).[20] The original 1926 proposed park of 550 acres (220 ha) had approximately 40% of its area with gentle slopes.[5]

The San Francisco Recreation Department constructed a multi-purpose outdoor amphitheatre in the center of McLaren Park in 1970 and named it the McLaren Park Amphitheatre;[21] it officially opened in 1971 with "excellent acoustics" for the 700 seats.[1] In 1997, it was noted the amphitheatre had not seen many shows, possibly because of the limited stage, storage facilities, dressing rooms, and parking.[19]

The first "Jerry Day" celebration was held in 2002, celebrating Excelsior native Jerry Garcia, and in July 2005, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission passed a resolution officially renaming the venue the Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre.[1][21] Garcia had grown up not far from the park, at 87 Harrington Street.[21]

The amphitheatre was officially re-dedicated on 29 October 2005 during a ceremony featuring performances by Jefferson Starship, Jefferson Galactic Family Reunion, Mystery Cats, Grapefruit Ed Acoustic, The Little Wheels Band, Jerry Rigged, Michael John Ahern, David Gans and Ben Fong-Torres.[21]

La Grande Tank is the prominent blue 350,000-US-gallon (1,300,000 l; 290,000 imp gal) water tank on the western edge of the park, visible from Interstate 280 and the Excelsior neighborhood.[22] It was built in 1956[23] and stands 80 feet (24 m) tall.[22] During the seismic upgrades performed in 2006, money was set aside to improve what became the Philosopher's Way trail.[23]

Mansell Street was a four-lane divided road running east-west across McLaren Park, roughly dividing it into northern and southern halves. It was completed in 1963[3] and had been used as a shortcut to Candlestick Point and occasional street-racing dragstrip,[14] but it was reconstructed as a two-lane road during the Mansell Street Corridor Improvement Project, a US$6,800,000 (equivalent to $7,190,000 in 2018) construction job lasting one year.[24] One side of the road was rebuilt as a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle path, and crosswalks with bright flashing beacons were added to major intersections,[24] allowing foot traffic between the north and south halves of the park.[25]

Mansell Street through McLaren Park is significantly wider than the city streets it connects with on the western and eastern edges of the park. It was designed and constructed as a segment of the planned Crosstown Freeway which never came to fruition in the wake of the San Francisco Freeway Revolts.[25]

The Wilde Reservoir Overlook, on the eastern edge of the park at the intersection of Mansell Street and Visitacion Avenue, was completed and opened to the public in 1981.[20] The Wilde Reservoir was used to store tap water for the City of San Francisco, but after its abandonment, was used as a nocturnal dumping ground for trash.[28] The old walls of the reservoir were retained as a viewing platform and a 35-foot (11 m) tall tower was built in the center of it.[28] However, the tower was padlocked and has been closed to the public since the late 1990s.[15]

^ abBurnham, Daniel H.; Bennett, Edward H. (September 1905). O'Day, Edward F., ed. Report on a plan for San Francisco (Report). Association for the Improvement and Adornment of San Francisco. p. 168. Retrieved 31 January 2017. VISITACION PARKIt is proposed to acquire land for park purposes on the southern range of hills, as shown. Part of this would be embraced in Visitacion Park.This park is to be created in the Bay View District, west of Thirty-third avenue south and east of Railroad avenue. It would include hill and shore and tide lands and would present many attractions. Its special treatment would include tropical planting (which the fine climate makes possible) and the emphasis of its shore scnery. Where it runs to the water edge there should be a yacht harbor, baths, etc.

UNIVERSITY MOUND PARKThis park would present equal advantages. It also would admit of a treatment including luxuriant vegetation. Advantage should be taken of the reservoir, which could be used in vista as a mirror for the park.